Architecture LIVE 17
| Architecture LIVE 17 |
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| The arrival of the timber and roof covering is preceded by a short ritual on the evening of the new moon. Permission to proceed with the closing in of the frame is quietly sought. I circumnavigate the walls, light incense, stand within the open structure and watch the last of the light drain from the sky. |
| The roofing work proceeds unhampered. The space suddenly becomes more intimate and focussed. The walls appear more substantial, the windows more alert. We stand around like curious children or sit with cups of tea and wonder where all this is leading. |
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| Our destination is quickly revealed. It is right where we are, in the Here & Now. We redouble our efforts. Nothing seems too hard and progress is substantial. |
| The enclosure offered by the roof places the focus on the very space we occupy. We bathe in this delight. |
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| James Henderson’s workshop allows us to focus on the plastering. The clay displays a whole new side of itself lending the interior a new character. The lowering sun probes this for answers. |
| Suddenly however, it is time to close this sweet EconoSpace to journey to its companion in Ireland. |
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| There, more plastering and character await revelation. |
| Architecture LIVE 16 |
Architecture LIVE 16
| Architecture LIVE 16 |
| As walls are fleshed out my new self begins to solidify. Dreams throw up questions which wakefulness struggles to answer: I have prepared some beautiful food, to be served on beautiful plates but my timing is completely off. When the food is ready the people are not. When the people are ready the plates cannot be found. |
| I interpret this dream as an allegory for the present state of affairs. I constantly anticipate some dread event descending and slicing my world in half. Slowly I begin to recognise this as a remnant of the past, a vestige of Ireland that stubbornly clings to me acting like a brake on forward progress. |
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| This is an invitation for the heavens to open and for rain to descend in a constant stream. Barracked inside I can only stare down at the mini-EconoSpace and hope for the best. Without a roof the clay-straw walls are completely vulnerable. This eating away of substance and self is counter-productive. I am dissolving again, returning to my constituent parts, cast into the blender of life to be whisked to a froth. |
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| When there is a lull in the storm, I can scrutinise the damage. Incredible! Hardly any effects at all! The clay has shrugged off the moisture leaving the walls intact. I am relieved and impressed at the same time. The experience however makes me cautious so I protect what I can and order roofing materials. |
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| Putting a roof on the building is a big step in my reconstruction. I am blessed with the arrival of Joshua on the scene. He is helping with the walling and has committed to staying until the roof is on. Along with Rhym, who has been a constant helper in the clay-straw department, plenty of forward progress is now promised. |
| This is an act of faith, a commitment to my unfolding, an acceptance of the shape that will emerge from this reconstruction of self. |
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| ‘Clay-Straw Knowing’ is the only way I can describe what is happening. This emerges from the actuality of making. The sense of touch adjudicates the consistency of the clay slip and the readiness of the clay-straw mix for installation. Everyone who comes to help discovers this knowing within minutes. |
| A further revelation is that there are no mistakes to be made because this material is completely forgiving. Even when a wall bulges because the lightweight shutter is too flimsy the result is spectacular! We jokingly write the architectural specification for this: Walls shall bulge and be voluptuous to the entire satisfaction of the Architect … |
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| Architecture LIVE 17 |
| Architecture LIVE 15 |
Architecture LIVE 15
| Architecture LIVE 15 |
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| The mini-EconoSpace lures me with promises whenever I stray close to its lair. Each time I am coaxed a little closer, touch and feel the empty shell as if it might give me a clear answer. |
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| I lay in a temporary floor. Oil the parched cladding boards. Contemplate the future through the empty frame of a recycled window. |
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| I am being taken apart cell by cell, each laid carefully away to be available for reassembly. I watch in fascination as I crack and dissolve. The world is a different place from this perspective. My emotions have come to the fore as if making up for the lack or corpuscular identity. Old hurts and embarassments parade by. Continue Reading » |
Architecture LIVE 14
| Architecture LIVE 14 |
| I am landed. Re-oriented. Half exhausted from keeping up with the pace of events. |
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| As soon as I hit the ground it was down to work on the EconoSpaceMaking DVD. There was more to this than was apparent at the outset. |
| In the end the project took on a life of its own, delving into the heart of things in no uncertain way. This was reassuring as it clarified many of the ideas that I had being juggling with for a long time. Continue Reading » |
Architecture LIVE 13
| Architecture LIVE 13 |
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| After a crazy month of sheltermaking, including a LIVE EconoSpaceMaking Course and a visit from RTE1 Nationwide, the Irish EconoSpace is bundled up against the northern winter for the duration of my time in Australia. |
| The silver wings of ‘St. Arthur’ fly me across Europe to the threshold of new adventures. |
| Lost in the hushed confines of Frankfurt International Airport, I contemplate this future as documented in The International Herald Tribune. Continue Reading » |
Architecture LIVE 12
| Architecture LIVE 12 |
| A visit to the Climate Change Camp to deliver an EconoSpace workshop confirms my worst fears. These are epitomised in a dream I later have of people pretending they have been drowned. A refusal to be fully alive appears to be at the heart of resistance to change. |
| The journey back and forth to the camp is through a countryside bereft of appeal. Towns, fields and houses resist efforts to meaningfully connect with them. The people scattered amongst this wasteland do indeed appear to be half-dead. This, I suppose, is the seed that birthed my dream. Continue Reading » |
Architecture LIVE – ClayStraw Mixing
| A bird’s eye view of the clay-straw mixing process … |
| Thanks to Matt for this overview. |
Architecture LIVE 11
| Architecture LIVE 11 |
| I make the first door frame and install this. This portal offers access to the enigmatic interior of the frame. From there I view the broad exterior over which a gathering moon presides. I dream then of being immersed in clay slip, pressed upon and forced into a dark chamber where indeterminate debris pummles my body. |
| I take this as an allegory for my life, encouragement to push myself out into the world to source the straw which is becoming increasingly vital to the sheltermaking. I juggle this commitment with bouts of filming and travel planning, recognising in that endeavour the pull of the antipodes on my soul. Continue Reading » |
Architecture LIVE 10
| Architecture LIVE 10 |
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| A beautiful load of daub, resembling a giant elephant stool, now resides in the yard. This prods the clay-straw operation into motion. I make a small test panel then watch over this like an anxious parent. |
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| Up on the roof I wrestle the last panel into place, secure it then stand back to admire my handywork. The protective hands of the roof glow in the light, radiating good energy into the space below. This invites formal opening up of this encouraging the flooring and walling work to proceed. This rhythm has its own momentum – first, relief that the roof has been completed, followed by a re-emergence of fear. Continue Reading » |
Architecture LIVE 9
| Architecture LIVE 9 |
| I am back at the quarry from which I gathered the initial clay sample in the company of the owner who understands exactly what I want. |
| “Aye, it’s daub you want. Sure I grew up in a mud house myself. Used to pull the horsehairs out of the wall and get in trouble for it too!” |
| We are mounted in a 4WD heaving through mud and devestation. |
| “Well that’s the trend now – to go back to the old ways and make houses out of natural materials like clay. Things that can decay naturally.” |
| “Just like ourselves you mean! Go back to the earth where we came from!” Continue Reading » |